Road to Redemption
by Meatt
Summary: After nearly costing Yuuko her life Yukariko reaps the rewards of her folly. While craving salvation and absolution she soon discovers that some transgressions carry a hefty price.
1. Prelude to Disaster

**A/N: I do not own these characters or the story's world. This fanfiction is based on the original work of the series creator** **Meibii. This fiction is based on the events of the manga.**

The midsummer winds seep into the newly built walls of the Seikyou Academy. Their fingers glide across the numerous classroom doors and windows that lie several yards apart from one another. Along their hurried journey, the light scent of death and decay outside the classroom designated as 1-C. At the end of the corridor, a faint light flickers from under the door. Behind the door, within the shadows of the school's storeroom, inconspicuous men stand huddled. Blood streaks across the floor, towards two open doors leading into the dank basement. At it's threshhold a person, short in stature, wearing white ceremonial garments and gaze down the staircase staring daggers into the body lying on the dank basement floor.

 _Finally, we will all be free of the mountain god's plague. So many people have lost their lives and for what? They died because our family neglected their duties and angered the god that we were supposed to worship._ She places her hand over her chest and feels the rapid beat of her heart. _I won't let anymore needless deaths happen because of us. Not mother, not_ _father, and definitely not_ _dear sister_ _Yuuko._ The mere thought of her sister's name sends a rush a warmth spreading through her body. _Yuuko, You always put so much faith in to do the right thing, and pushed me to show confidence. If it wasn't for you I don't think that I would have had the resolve to do this._

"Yu...ka...riko!" A girl's broken and quivering voices rises from the depths below.

The girl's messy, black locks hide her face as she crawls across the floor, dragging her broken leg behind her. After arriving at the foot of the steps, her nails dig down into the boards, and tries to hoist herself up, but to no avail.

 _You're only making your injury worse,_ Yukariko thinks, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Why...why...do this?"

"You know why I'm doing this. You and I have both heard the story from Father. Only the strongest and most pure person in the village will please the mountain god's wrath, and you're the only person worthy enough of this honor."

"We have airplanes, cars, and America even has bombs that can destroy entire cities. We live in an age of science, not religious superstition anymore Yukariko! Open your eyes!"

Yukariko huffs in defiance of her sister's words.

"This is the only way. Father is smart, and he's been unable to stop this plague. He had his chance, and failed. Now it's my turn."

"You'd...become a murderer to feed your own ego?"

"Murderer? You're not going to die. The mountain god will spirit you away."

"There..is no...mountain god! Do you think those snakes behind you care anything about you or me?"

Behind her, amongst the shuffling of feet and ecstatic whispers, the five elders conversation suddenly creeps into her Yukariko's ears.

"...we can finally put this behind us."

"What do you think Kanoe...?"

"...his fault anyway."

"...his daughter has enough fortitude to do what he wouldn't."

"We've known... years ago."

Yukariko closes her ears to the rambling of the older men, and soon a new younger male, younger, appears beside her. In his arms a collection of boards, nails, and a hammer juggles around in his possession.

"Are you sure your sister will be a sufficient sacrifice, my lady?"

"Who else in this village is braver and purer than her? Who do you know that wouldn't back down from anyone, be it an elder or my father? Even in these desperate times, which one of the adults has been going door to door, trying to keep up morale, even knowing that person could catch this disease next?"

"No one I can think of," he answers sheepishly.

"As I said. She is the only one that will make the mountain god happy."

"I'm sorry for questioning you, my lady," he says with a bow. "Should I seal it now?"

"Go ahead."

"Yes ma'am," he replies taking his place at the side of the opening before placing his materials on the ground.

 _Just bear with it, Yuuko. Soon the mountain god will take you away, and you'll not have to worry about that pain anymore. You'll be remembered as the person who saved us all. A title that suits you better than anyone else in this village._

With a deep sigh, Yukariko steps away from the open doorway and signals for the man to perform his duty. Without hesitation, the basement doors slam shut.

"Yukariko...let me out! I'll do...whatever...you want!"

Yuuko's shouts merge with the powerful bangs of the hammer, but the wall around her sister's heart remains impenetrable.

 _Please be_ _strong_ _sister._

Within minutes, Yuuko's shouts die down and the final nail plunges itself into the last plank. Immediately, the smallest of the eldest men slithers next to her with his Cheshire-cat smile, respectfully lowering his head.

"The deed is done, mistress. I think we should take our leave."

"Mother! Father! Anyone!"

Yukariko removes her headpiece, freeing her long, curly, black hair. In the center of the room, the men huddle around and smile foolishly while ignoring their howling victim. With her garments gone, Yukariko feels vulnerable. There is too much here. The shadows within the dimly lit room, Yuuko's yelling, a faint, smell of iron that bombards her senses and leaves her paralyzed.

"Are you okay madam?"

"Yes," she says, gripping the veil in her hand. "Where should I leave this?"

"You can place it on the floor. We'll come back and clean up the mess."

The men nod their heads in agreement before turning their backs and moving towards the exit. Yukariko neatly folds the clothing and places it on the floor, next to the trail of blood staining the floor. A sledgehammer rests against the wall with the blood freshly dripping along its head. Her stomach churns violently before she hops up and heads to the door as the events from earlier seep their way into her mind.

 _Yukariko stares her sister down while the men stand along the walls of the room, slowly inching closer to their victim._

 _"What are you doing here Yukariko!" Yuuko's worrisome expression bleeds out to her as she breathes heavily, clutching her chest. "Did you really plan to come here and sacrifice yourself? How many times do I have to tell you that's not going to solve anything?"_

 _The men leap from the shadows quickly, grabbing Yuuko and slamming her face first to the floor. The combination of surprise and pain forces her to screech as she flails around to get free._

 _"Let me go!"_

 _The girl's shouts muffles as the men place a knee on neck, and hand goes over her mouth, however; her struggling intensifies. In the corner of the room, another assailant drags a sledgehammer across the floor._

 _"Yuuko Kanoe you have been chosen to be the sacrifice to the mountain god in order to save our home."_

 _"No!" her muffled screams rage before noticing the man holding the sledgehammer appear beside her._

 _"Break her leg."_

 _"Yes ma'am," the man replies taking aim with the tool._

 _As the sledgehammer rises in the air, their fiendish grins appear for all to see. The hammer crashes onto Yuuko's leg, sending a sickening crack throughout the room. Her pale form squirms violently as bone touches the floor and her blood trickles from her ruptured flesh staining the floor. Within moments, Yukariko's assistants take hold of whatever parts of Yuuko they could grab and toss her down the stairs._

Just as she makes it to the door, she pauses for a moment after hearing her sister's voice clawing through the door.

"Please don't leave me! I promise...I'll do whatever...you want...no matter what."

 _"Yuuko"_ _,_ _she whispers before stepping through the exit and placing her back against the door. "I've made up my mind sister, and I won't be turning back."_

With a sigh she makes her way down the hall, until she reaches her accomplices. As she approaches hearing range she quietly walks behind them as they have their conversation shifts from burning bodies, disposing of possessions, and their future plans. Before long, she finds herself at the entrance the classroom of 1-C. She peers her head inside the classroom, which was once reserved for her class, and glosses over the rows of dark limbs protruding from under the sheets.

 _One, two, three, four...ten, eleven, fifteen. How much longer before they have room in the crematorium?_ She bites down on her lip. Tears well up in her eyes, but she quickly wipes them away. A _ll of these people died...because of you father._

The thoughts on her father's failure occupies her mind as the group make their way out of the school building. The darkening sky with a mixture of red and orange plagues the air. The school yard lays empty as the everyone passes across its lifeless grounds, and pass through the gate onto the roadway. Within minutes, the sight of her once bustling village appears before her. The streets lay practically empty, besides the occasional person burning belongings, toys litter the ground, and doors to once occupied houses remain wide open. As they arrive at the center of the town, the men end their chatter and turn towards Yukariko.

"Thank you for everything madam," the oldest of the men says.

"Yes. Thank you," the other say in unison.

"I was only doing what needed to be done."

"We will pray that the mountain god will forgive us for our transgressions."

"I'm sure he will."

"Let's all look forward to the bright future we have ahead of ourselves."

Everyone nods in agreement before bidding farewell to one another and departing on their way home.

 _I did a good job today._


	2. Family Bonds

The twilight overhead accents the spaced-out fires near the abandoned homes. In the distance, the freshly painted exterior, immaculate yard, and the largest house in the vicinity brings a smile to Yukariko's face.

 _Finally, now I can put this day behind me._

Her accomplices' grins and words of appreciation strokes her ego, thrusting her into a world of self-satisfaction. The creaking of the steps and the porch brings her back to reality. Without hesitation, the door opens revealing the narrow, barely lit hallway which travels several yards forward before branching off into the living room area on the right side. Across the hall lies the kitchen, and even further away three bedroom doors lie at the end of the hall.

"I'm home!"

Her voice echoes down the hall and upon reaching the living room, a woman, several inches taller than herself round the corner from the living room. Her long, black hair flows down to her white blouse as she makes towards Yukariko with urgency.

"Yukariko! Where have you been? Your father and I have been worked sick about."

 _Father's home,_ she asks herself, cocking her head to the side. _That's surprising. I thought he would have been gone until tomorrow or until later tonight like he usually does_.

"I didn't mean to worry you both. I was helping some of the neighbors," she replies, looking past the woman and into the empty hallway behind her. "Where is father now?"

"He went chasing after Yuuko after she ran out of the house. I swear that girl needs to do better. I know I taught her better than that."

"Ran out?"

"She swore you were in some type of danger," her mother says before erupting into a coughing fit.

"Mother..."

"I'm okay," her mother replies warding her off with her hand. "It's just a cough. I'll take some of my medicine soon."

"If you say so. Anyway, I don't know why Yuuko would think that. I wasn't in any danger."

"Maybe she was paranoid because you weren't in the house," her mother says with a sigh. "I don't know how many times I've told her to stop babying. You're too old to have someone constantly babysitting you."

 _It's not babysitting. She was just trying to be a good sister. Then again, you didn't like a lot of what Yuuko did anyway._

"Did you happen to see Yuuko while you were out?"

"I didn-" she stutters, unable to respond.

 _Why am I hesitating? There's nothing for me to be ashamed of._

The front door opens, interrupting her monologue. In the doorway, a man about the same height as her mother steps inside the house and closes the door. He runs his hand through his curly, black hair, and knocks off some of the dust on his white short sleeve shirt and glasses.

"Yukariko!" he shouts with excitement before embracing his daughter. "Where have you been? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...father," she replies, combating his embrace. "I was out helping some of the neighbors. You're…squeezing too hard."

"I'm sorry," he apologizes while releasing his hold. "I worried about you. After seeing Yuuko run out of the house like that-"

"Did you find her Jin?"

"No Rei. I don't know where she could be. No one I've asked said they've seen her today."

"She couldn't have gone far. There aren't that many places in this village, and everyone here knows what she looks like."

"Yukariko, do you know of any places that Yuuko may have gone? Somewhere you two would go in private or that some people may not know about?"

The desperation in his voice tugs at her heart, but only for a moment.

"We don't have any places like that father. I'm sorry."

'Damn it," he shouts, throwing back his head in disbelief. "I've looked out back by the mountain path, I've talked to our neighbors, and I even looked along the road leading out of town. No one has seen her."

"Are you sure you've searched everywhere Jin? What about the river bed at the base of the mountain?"

"I haven't checked out that far out, but I can give it a try."

 _I guess the most obvious place isn't the most obvious after all. Oh well, that's better for us._

Yukariko rolls her eyes, makes her way past her mother and into the kitchen. The cupboard emits a squeak before reaching inside, taking a glassing, and filling it with water.

 _I wonder if the mountain god has come down yet and taken Yuuko away,_ she thinks while sipping her water and ignoring her parents down the hallway. _Come to think of it, how would we know if this worked? Is everyone going to mysteriously get better or something? I should have asked father about that when he first told me that story. I definitely can't ask him now._

She turns the glass up and guzzles the remaining water.

"Yukariko," a familiar voice whispers in her ear.

Before she realizes the glass plummets to the floor, shattering upon impact. Her eyesight dances around the room, glancing over the table, chairs, and appliances unable to to shake the chill creeping its way through her body.

"My mind is playing tricks on me," she whispers placing her hands on the counter of the sink and rubbing her eyes furiously. "it's been a long day. That's it."

"Yukariko, are you alright," he father's voice calls from the entrance of the kitchen.

She looks down to find the shards of glass littering the floor around her.

"I'm okay, father. I was just clumsy is all. I'll clean this up right away."

"That's okay"," he replies examining her. "You look exhausted. You should go and check on your mother, and maybe lie down. I'll clean this up before I go back out."

"Go back out?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to look for your sister again."

"Don't you think it's too late to be going out like this?"

'Especially with your detective skills.'

"What other choice do we have? I'm not giving up on looking for her. Once I find her, we're getting out of this place."

"Leave? But this is our home."

"We can make a new home. I don't want to see any of you come down with this sickness, especially since we don't know how to treat it."

"Sickness? You know exactly how to treat it. You told me so yourself. You told me about Akahito-"

"Didn't I say that was just some old story that people used to believe back in the dark ages? There's nothing remotely logical about killing someone to appease some god!"

 _He sure is mad. I guess I shouldn't have said that._

"I'm…sorry I yelled at you." He apologizes as he recovers from his outburst.

"It's okay. I'll go and tend to mother right now," she says, heading for the doorway. "Don't stay out too late father."

"I pray that I don't have to."

Yukariko makes her way down the hall and into her mother's room where she finds her mother taking a seat in the chair at their father's desk. Her mother bursts into another coughing fit, prompting her to take a drink of her medicine in the glass before her. Yukariko closes the door behind her and takes a seat the seat next to her mother.

"Are you sure you're okay, mother?"

"I'm fine. I just didn't take my medicine today is all."

"You have to remember to take your medicine mom. We don't want you to get sick too."

"I know that. I've been worried about your sister all day, so it slipped my mind."

"Yuuko will be fine. She's fifteen, I'm sure she can handle herself."

"You're surprisingly calm about this. Of everyone, I thought you'd be taking this the hardest out of everyone."

 _Should I bring up the thing about Akahito? Maybe I can help calm her nerves with that._

"I know that in the end, everything is going to be alright."

"Let's hope so. I don't want to see anyone else we know lose their lives over this."

"Don't you think it's weird how this happened so suddenly? Do you think it could be because we upset a god?"

Her mother takes a sip of her medicine and then looks back to her in confusion with a soft chuckle.

"Gods… I'm not too sure about that. I don't think people still believe in gods nowadays. Then again, I could be wrong. Is that what these people have been talking about around here?"

"Some people have been saying that."

"Do you think what they are saying is true?"

"I'm not sure, but if it wasn't then why hasn't father been able to find a cure for the plague?"

"Your father was doing his best. He says this is a new type of sickness that no one knows anything about. Of course, it's not going to be easy to cure."

Yukariko bites her tongue not wanting to risk exciting her mother, or ruining the chance of her actions going to waste. She motions to see if her mother needs help with her cup, but she waves the girl off.

"It's getting late, maybe you should go and get some sleep. You look really exhausted. I'm sure your father may want you to help him search for your sister, if he hasn't found her in the morning, though I have faith that he will find her tonight.

"Alright. I'm going to go to lie down. Have a good night."

"You too dear," she says as Yukariko makes her out of the door.

She arrives in her room and closes the door behind her. She takes off her clothing and puts on her nightgown before taking a seat in front of her mirror.

 _Just give it some days. Everyone will see just how wrong they were. They'll all see that it was our fault that those people died and giving Yuuko over to the mountain god was the right thing to do._

After finishing her hair, Yukariko places the comb on the dresser and setups up her futon. Before settling in, she turns off the light on her dresser and glances out of her window. The full moon looms overhead and shines down upon her face. With a smile, she turns around and gets into her futon.


	3. My Family

Yukariko gazes into the back of her eyelids while clutching her pillow closely to her chest. The raindrops rap on the ceiling, thunder roars, and flashes of lightning illuminate the sky through the window.

"Why me," she whispers before a blast of thunder barrels through her walls. A squeak escapes her lips before making a beeline for her door. "I'm going to sleep in Yuuko's room. I always sleep better with her around."

Just as she places her hand on her door knob, her grip gradually loosens dropping to her side.

 _Oh yeah, she's not here._

Another flash of lightning illuminates her room, with a burst of thunder behind it, sending her scurrying back to her futon, and pulling the covers up to her face.

"Why now?"

The storm ravages her courage and within minutes the covers reside over her head.

"I just want to go to sleep."

 _If you need a way to go to sleep, try counting sheep_ , Yuuko's voice plays in her mind.

"That's never worked," she grimaces curling tightly in the fetal position. "Whatever! I'll give it a try anyway. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven- " The burst of her thunder crackles in her ear, along with a massive pop. Within seconds, the covers fly off her and she's out of her door. Before she knows it, she finds herself entering Yuuko's room. Without paying attention to the straightened books, the spotless study desk, and the half-made futon. Yukariko dives into her sister's bedding and brings the blankets up to her face once more. The smell of lavender slithers into her nostrils which ease her nerves, pulling herself deeper into the embrace of Yuuko's futon.

 _This isn't so bad._

A calming sensation sweeps over her as the crackling of thunder does little to hardly break her mood. Her face buries itself deeper into the pillow and she soon drifts to sleep.

* * *

 _Yukariko stretches her arms while the morning sun filters in through the window. She rubs her eyes before noticing the empty area beside her._

 _"Sister," she whispers rubbing the crust and slobber from her eyes before looking around the room. In front of Yuuko's desk a blurry, slim figure tosses its head back up, followed by a hard knock on the desk's wood surface. "What's wrong Yuuko?"_

 _"I got thirsty is all. It's nothing to worry yourself over."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Did you sleep well? You were snoring really loud."_

 _"Was I?"_

 _"Yep," she answers with a chuckle. "I wish I could have recorded you and played it for mom and dad."_

 _"You wouldn't dare!"_

 _"You're right, I wouldn't do that... or would I?" She teases, taking her spot on her futon and scratching some of the dried-up drool from her face._

 _"Stop! It's embarrassing."_

 _"Why are you so embarrassed? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone that you come in here and cuddle up to your big sister because you're afraid of thunderstorms." Yuuko's devious grin makes her heart jump as blood rushes to her face._

 _"You wouldn't!"_

 _"You're right," she answers placing her hand on her head. "I wouldn't tell anyone something like that. Though I do wonder how this is going to affect you in the long run. I can't keep letting you come in here because you're afraid of thunder."_

 _"I'm not a child that you have to cuddle all the time," she says, turning her nose up._

 _"Those are big words coming from the person who had to come in here to go to sleep," she chuckles before running her fingers through her hair. "Well, it doesn't matter how old you are, you'll always be a child to me."_

 _Yuuko's sudden embrace paints her face a deep pink. Against her sister's soft body, the urge to break away from her remains absent, leaving the sisters brimming with smiles and laughter circulating among themselves._

* * *

"It's finally morning and the storm is over," Yukariko says with an exhausted sigh. "I actually fell asleep. I guess this was a good idea." She gets out of her futon and makes her way back into her room. The aroma of eggs and onions waft through the air motivating her to get into her room, finding her outfit with haste before heading to the kitchen where her mother and father were waiting at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, father. Good morning, mother."

"Good morning," they both reply, lacking energy in their voices.

Yukariko takes her place at the table looking over the fish, soup, and water set before her.

"Did you find Yuuko father?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"It's okay Jin."

"It's not okay Rei," he says standing up from the table. "I'm going out again. Yukariko, can you help me?"

 _I just sat down. Anyway, It's not like I can say no._

"Sure. I can help you right after I finish eating if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'll be waiting out front."

As her father exits the kitchen, Yukariko performs her morning prayer before taking her chopsticks and beginning her meal. Between chews her eyes find themselves unable to stay off of her mother's longing expression as she stares out the window and into the cloudy sky, tapping her finger on the table repeatedly.

"Where did Yuuko go?"

"I'm sure she's safe mother. Maybe she went too far out and had to take shelter from the rain. Regardless, she'll be fine. Yuuko is very tough after all."

"Tough…" She hears her mother mumble as she takes her dishes to the sink and leaves them.

On the way out of the kitchen, the sight of her mother's untouched food prompts her to speak up.

"You should really eat mother."

"I'm not that hungry."

"You know you have to eat something because of your condition."

"I'll be fine, I'll eat something in a minute. You just go with your father. I'll be fine by myself." A dissatisfied frown grows on her face before exiting the kitchen room and making her way towards the living room door. As she slips on her shoes and gazes back into the direction of the kitchen.

"I'll be back soon!"

Not hearing a reply, she exits the house and finds her father standing at the boundary of the property waiting for her.

I wonder how long we are going to be out searching. Given mother's condition, perhaps I should take over for Yuuko.

"Let's go Yukariko."

"Yes sir."

Yukariko and her father traverse the muddy street, eyeing the moistened furniture as they lay outside of the abandoned homes. Several yards down the road, two men wearing face masks, and peasant-like clothing exit the home before them carrying a collection of items in their hands which soon ends up in the heap of belongings at the foot of the stairs. The fire that the men set, with the help of gasoline, builds rapidly upwards, bringing her attention to their oh-so-familiar faces from yesterday's event.

"Good morning Raki! Good morning Yuuta!"

"Good morning Kanoe," Raki says pulling off his gloves and tossing them in the fire. "What brings you here this morning?"

"I'm looking for Yuuko. She hasn't been home since yesterday. Have you by chance seen her?"

"She went missing, when?"

Both men shake their heads in denial.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen her," they both answer in unison.

"Well, if you do please let me know."

"Sure thing," they both answer.

With a wave of their hands, the two make their way up forward once more. Silence accompanies them as they go from house to house paying attention if there are vacancies in the home or not. After several stops and bringing up no luck with the villagers, they finally reach the bottom of the hill leading to the school. The door to one of the houses closest to them opens and out steps an older woman and a young boy. As they approach the boy's face lights up as she and her father give them a polite wave.

"How are you doing today Mrs. Tanaka?"

"We've been better."

"How are you doing today Yukariko?"

"I'm fine ma'am."

"Where is Yuuko? I haven't seen her today. I was hoping she'd come by yesterday, the children really wanted to see her."

"Yeah! Maki and Toru wanted to thank her for the delicious candy she gave us, and for her time playing with us."

"Is that so? Well, she's at home taking care of her mother right now, but I'll make sure to tell her you're looking for her when I return home."

"Ok! Tell her we'll beat her this time!"

Yukariko finds herself unable to hold back a smile at the boy's energy. Thinking back on all the things she's done for everyone since this curse broke out. These weren't the only people she'd hang around with, she would play with the children, help the elderly, and help whoever else needed it during these terrible times. It's almost as if the gods were trying to show how qualified she was.

"I'll do that," her father answer with a smile and a wave before walking off.

As they move further up the road, a shout breaks out causing her father to dash forwards. She follows quickly behind before arriving at a house, belonging to one of the village elders. As she rounds the turn, she sees a woman standing over an elderly man. Her father runs over to the fallen man with her following suit.

"What happened here?"

"I don't know! He was fine just a minute ago, and then he just fell."

Sweat creeps down Yukariko's face while the man's legs shake violently. Blood slips past his lips and sits on the side of his mouth while undergoing a fit of coughs.

"You should go back in the house," she says to the woman.

Without arguing, she follows his instructions and leaves the scene.

 _Wait…. he's sick too, but how? This doesn't make any sense._

Her father kneels beside him, covering his mouth, and reaches over for the man, but he swats him away.

"I don't need your help."

"You're bleeding and you can barely hold yourself up."

"I said I don't need your help," he says with a set of coughs. "This is all your fault anyway. You're a hack of a scientist and an even worse leader. I can't believe your father put someone like you in charge of leading us."

"I'm sure that's just the sickness talking."

The man rises to his feet staggering, looking back at her and her father.

"You should go and lie down before you lose your footing."

"If only we would have had someone else." Yukariko looks at him and then back at her father before the man walks back up the steps. "After everything, I guess it's too late to soothe the god's anger now. This is all on you Kanoe."

The man staggers up the stairs to the house and fumbles his way inside, closing the door behind him.

"Father."

"Don't pay him any attention."

"But-"

"You heard me Yukariko. He's just talking nonsense."

She grunts to herself as she follows her father down the road. Her thoughts travel off into the distance after what the man said both about her father and village.

 _Why did he say it's too late? After everything we did, it can't all just be in vain._

"Father. What if he's right? What if the mountain god is punishing us?"

Her father's gaze bores into her causing her to jerk back.

"There are no such thing as curses and gods Yukariko. This is just a disease that came out of nowhere. This has nothing do with any divine retribution or anything of that sort."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. There's a thing called "coincidence." That's what all those were, mere coincidences." Her father's answer doesn't do anything to relieve the anxiety that grows inside of her.

What is this? Was Yuuko not enough? She was the best our village had to offer. Was I being too biased? I just don't get it, did we do something wrong? Even the elder got sick and that was after we did the ritual. Was it all for nothing?

"Kanoe! Come quick!" A young man's voice rings out from several yards behind him.

Yukariko follows behind her father as quickly as he makes his way to the man.

"What's the matter," they both look at the man struggling for breath.

"It's Yuichi! He's sick!"

"Alright, take me to him. Yukariko, you go back home and look after your mother. I'll be back a little later."

"Okay," she says with an unbelievable voice.

As she watches her father talk to the man, her brain begins to warp and distort as a chill suddenly makes her way upon her body, causing her to shiver.

Am I going to do catch the disease too? She asks herself for a moment before shaking off the question. No! I refuse to believe that anyone else is going to die. We did the ritual, and it just needs a little more time to work. Any time now, the mountain god will spirit my sister away, and he'll heal all these people that are sick.

She nods her head nervously before taking her turn back into the house. She briskly makes her way home, removes her shoes, and makes her way into in the hallway.

"I'm home mother!"

"Welcome back," the woman's voice comes through the door. "Were you able to find Yuuko?"

"No ma'am."

"I see."

"I'm going to go and take a bath now. I'll come by and sit with you after I get myself cleaned up."

"Okay."

Yukariko makes her way to her bedroom and retrieves her clothing before making her way to the bathroom. After shampooing her hair and washing away her impurities, she takes her place in the tub and soaks in the warm water. Staring up at the ceiling she runs her mind lay confused and nothing seems to make sense.

"What left is there that I can do? I've done everything I know of." She lets the warm water sift through her body as she slowly begins losing consciousness while listening to the quietness in the bathroom. She places her hands together before puts them on her forehead as if asking for guidance. "Please. Please don't let anyone else get sick. If there's something I have to do, someone give me a sign."

Unable to think of anything else, she sits back in the tub until it's time for her to get out. She dries herself off and puts on her clothes before making her way to her mother's room. She knocks on the door and quickly gets permission to enter. Upon entering, she finds her mother sitting on the desk.

"What are you doing mother?"

"I'm just looking at this picture book," she says breaking her attention from the book.

Yukariko looks down at the picture of her, Yuuko and her grandfather standing in front of his house.

"That's an old picture. That's when Yuuko went to stay with grandmother and grandfather for the summer right?"

"That's right," her mother says running her hand across the photo. "That was a very difficult summer."

Yukariko remembers the scalding sun and warm temperature of that summer. Her father had just left the hospital that was not too far from the village when grandfather started feeling unwell and was given the mantle of the village head after the summer was over. Yukariko takes her mother's hand and gives her a forceful smile.

"Let's go to the living room and do something," she says trying to get her mother's mind off her sister. "We can sew or maybe…"

"I'm not really in the mood," she says shaking her head with a sigh. "Where did your father go?"

"Another of the villagers got sick, so he went to visit him."

"Which one was it this time?"

"It was Yuichi."

Her mother remains quiet for several moments before speaking.

"There seems to be no end to this is there?"

"We just have to endure it. Perhaps the mountain god will have pity on us."

"What did you just say," she says turning around.

"Maybe the mountain god will have pity on us."

Her mother sighs before running her fingers through her hair.

"Is that what people have started hoping for now? Hoping that a god will spare us?"

"Not everyone, but a lot of people."

"The things people believe in when things start going wrong."

She frowns at her mother due to her buying into that story.

"What would you have us people do? You just can't sit back and wait for the end to come."

"No one is saying that Yukariko, but we need to be logical about this. When has a god ever been proven to help anyone, Yukariko? I guess the next thing you're going to tell me is that you believe in the barbaric practice of human sacrifices." Her body freezes up from her mother's sudden mention of the action. Not wanting to draw any attention to herself, she just shakes it off and continues.

"Of course not."

"As you shouldn't. The only thing we can believe in is your father. Let's leave this at that." She looks at her mother as she continues to look through the book. With nothing more to say, all she could do is wait for her father to get home, and hear whatever he has to say.


	4. What Lies Beneath?

Yukariko looks up from her bowl. She catches her mother's piercing gaze at her father as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Distaste hangs heavily in the air, polluting the peacefulness of breakfast.

"How many people have died in the past four days," her mother asks while placing her chopsticks down.

"…five more. The last of the old men just died this morning."

"Is that so? I'm hoping that no one else contracts the disease. The crematorium is still overflowing, so the stench of the dead bodies in the school is becoming a problem."

"To think that that place was supposed to be a place for our kids to learn something, instead it's used to house corpses."

The table falls quiet once more as the trio finishes eating their meal. With nothing left on her plate, Yukariko places her dishes in the sink.

Nothing is changing. It's been four days and nothing has changed. The elders said this was going to solve everything, but even they're gone now.

"This is all your fault!" Yukariko spins around to see her mother staring daggers at her father. "While you were off doing who knows what, these animals murdered our daughter!"

 _Where did that come from?_

"Rei. That doesn't make sense."

"Yuuko leaves the house and no one is able to find her? Do you think it's a coincidence Jin?!"

"I understand you're upset, but you shouldn't go around blaming people for Yuuko going missing. These are our friends you're talking about."

"How else can you explain this? Even Yukariko herself said these people were talking about curses, gods, and sacrifices."

"These people wouldn't do anything like that Rei. You just need to calm down."

"Why haven't you found her yet? There are only so many places in this village you can go unless you leave town. Are you saying you've haven't taken looking for your daughter seriously?"

"I have. I've checked everywhere. The school, the mountain out back, the abandoned house, everywhere."

"Whatever," Rei says with a hiss. "I can see why so many people lost faith in you."

"How can you say that?"

Yukariko covers her ears, for a moment unable to take their bickering any longer, but finds herself unable to block out their voices.

"Will you two please stop? This isn't helping anything."

Her parents end their conversation, but the disgust in her mother's eyes still saturates the air. After several moments, the toxicity in the air forces him to excuse himself from the table, but not without addressing the room once more.

"I'm going back out."

"Take Yukariko with you. I don't need her to look after me."

"Are you sure Rei?"

"Yes, and if you can't find her this time I'll search for her myself all night if I have to."

"That's not necessary."

"Then find her. Even if it is a cor-"

"Don't say it," her father interrupts with a grunt.

"I'm ready whenever you are father."

"Let's go."

With haste the two make their way out of the house once more and find themselves facing the empty road leading through their community. Within every vacant house, around every corner, and behind every bush, they search for her whereabouts but still they fail to locate her missing sister.

"Where are you Yuuko?"

As they stand at the center of town, the afternoon sun's beams reflect off the beads of sweat flowing down her father's brow. He makes his move up the road again, but is interrupted by the opening of the door to one of the newest victim's house. Two men come out carrying a large wooden box that no doubt contains the old man's body. After the men bring the box down the stairs, it hits the ground as the older man stretches his back and howls in pain.

"Are you okay?"

"My back."

"You shouldn't be lifting heavy stuff if you're back is hurting you," Jin calls out.

"Ah Kanoe. If you don't mind, can you help me get this up to the school?"

"I don't really have the time," he whispers to himself. "Sure."

"Thanks. You're a big help."

"Yukariko, we're going up to the school. You can come if you want."

"Okay," she says before following behind her father and the men.

As they near the school grounds, an aura of death lingers around the courtyard. They walk down the narrow and quiet halls until they arrive at Yukariko's classroom. Her father slides the door open and in they walk. The number of bodies lining the floor causes her flinch. Her father and the villagers maneuver around the line of corpses and places the box on the ground.

"It's really getting cramped in here."

"Yeah. I heard the crematory machine needs fixing."

"Really. What's wrong with it?"

"I'm not sure. I was asked to bring some tools over to the crematorium, but since I don't have any with me at home I'll have to go and get some out of the store room here."

"Storeroom. Oh yeah. Don't worry about it. I'll take them over to the crematorium for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he says with a nod before the villager takes his leave. Yukariko and Jin observe the bodies for a moment before her father sighs heavily. "So many lives lost."

"Make sure to go wash up and take care of yourselves."

"Yes sir," he says before departing.

After the man departs Yukariko eyes her dad before he moves around with his mask covering his nose and putting on gloves. Yukariko can't stop herself from gazing down the hall.

This is bad. I hope that the elders cleaned everything up. It's not like it's going to change anything.

"Yukariko," her father calls her name, snapping her out of her blank stare. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes sir."

Before she's able to say anything else, he makes his way down the hall. She quickly follows him, unable to shake off the worry on her face and anxiousness in her heart as the man makes walks with haste down the hallway.

Oh no. I don't' know if anyone cleaned up that room or not.

As they make their way down the two can see the door leading to the storage room. She bites her lip as she feels herself stepping even slower, falling behind as the man inches closer to the door. Her father flings the door open and steps inside of the room. She inches in and behind him to notice the clear floor.

"What is this," he says examining the splotches of red on the floor by running his hand over it.

What the…They didn't clean anything up! I can't believe they just left the blood on the floor.

Her heart races as her father examines the red stains along the hammer's head. Almost instantly he follows the red stains which ends at the door and the doorway. His hand slides across the wooden surface of the boards and he examines the door from end to end.

"Father?"

He quickly runs over to the shed and digs through it, finding a crowbar he goes at the door and pulls the nails back one by one, the sound of the metal and wood hitting the floor makes her clasp her hands together. With the final boards hitting the floor her father throws open the door and drops the crowbar on the ground. He makes his way down as she advances to the door and looks down at the flight of stairs to the barely lit and empty cellar floor. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs his body remains still as he searches around.

She's not there! She's not there! I told you father, mother, and Yuuko! I knew there was truth behind the old legend.

"Yuuko!"

His scream chills her to the bone as he disappears to the side of the cellar. She positions herself over to the edge, but finds herself unable to see into the area.

"Father?!"

"Yukariko! Get down her quickly!"

She moves with hesitation as she goes to the steps, something rancid hitting her nose causing her to cover it as she made her way down.

 _What smells terrible down here-"_

"Yuuko! You're burning up!"

 _Yuuko...No way...It can't be._


	5. All the Things We Have Done

Yukariko covers her nose with her hand, shielding herself from the stench permeating the room while her father examines Yuuko's body. The weak rise and fall of her shoulder remain consistent as her father slips his hand beneath her bangs and rests her hand upon her head.

"She's burning up," Jin replies taking his hand off of her. Besides her lack of her energy, she can't help but notice the dark bruises blotching her arms in an irregular pattern, her torn and jagged fingernails, and a makeshift tourniquet made from the lower part of her school uniform below her knee. Her father undoes the cloth, however; the glimpse of bone and dried blood before her stomach churns.

"This isn't good. We need to get her to a hospital and fast," he adds carefully wrapping her leg.

 _That's so disgusting._

Upon finishing her father firmly places his hand on her shoulder.

"Father..."

The light pink of his eyes and the trembling of her fingers eats away at her heart. This is the first time she's ever seen her father, appearing ready to cry.

"Yukariko. I'm going home to get the car. Stay here and look after your sister."

"Umm... okay."

"Thank you," he says before sprinting up the staircase and out of sight.

Left in the noxious pit, Yuuko's wheezing scratches at her ear pushing, pushing, and pushing her closer to the edge until finally, she escapes the basement quicker than her father. Upon reaching the storeroom, bursts of fresh air fill her lungs before placing herself against the doors of the cellar. Looking down brings a smile to her face before embracing the doors for support and casting a back down at her sister's body.

 _Why didn't the mountain god take her? Did we do something wrong? We couldn't have. The elders knew about the story, and father even said that our family used to do sacrifices back in the past. Could it be that I made a mistake? No. That's not possible. We needed someone strong and pure, and we all agreed that Yuuko was the only suitable person. Is there something I don't know? Maybe she did something with one of the boys in the village, or maybe she did or said something the mountain god didn't like. That... has to be it. What other reason could there be? In the end, we had the chance to fix this, and Yuuko destroyed it. Why would she do that? How selfish can she be!?_

Yukariko catches herself in that moment, calming her thoughts and taking a deep breath. _Wait... What am I saying? Yuuko isn't like that. Yuuko would never do anything like that. She would never do anything to jeopardize us. I should just calm down. There's nothing that can be done now. Everyone's dead and there's nothing we can do for them now..._

Yukariko places her hand over her mouth before making her way down the stairs. Just as before the odor seeps through her fingers, but she praises the fact that her breathing, though still audible, has gotten quieter. As she takes her post and watches over her sister's body once more. In her boredom, she glances around the room and unlike before spots two dark lumps on the floor and a pair of panties lying in the corner of the room.

 _That's disgusting, but I guess it couldn't be helped. You were trapped down here for a long time. Speaking of that, I wonder how you were able to stay alive down here for his long with nothing to eat or drink_ , she thinks, scouring the room again and finding nothing to answer her question. After residing to that fact, she takes her place midway up the stairs and sits quietly, observing the steady rise and fall of her sister's chest. After what seemed like forever, the sound of footsteps and the opening of doors throws her for a surprise. Her parents storm down the stairs almost instantaneously bolting past her and taking their place at her sister's side.

"Yuuko," her mother says with her hands over her mouth.

"You two get the doors and I'm going to carry her out," he says bending down readjusting her for a fireman's carry.

"This is going to hurt a little Yuuko, but bear with it."

Yukariko does as she's told, with her mother beside her, and make their way up the stairs and towards the storeroom door.

"What went on over here?"

"We don't have time for this mother," she says pulling her to the door and leaving her in the hallway, away from the carnage.

Soon her father emerges from the cellar with Yuuko draped over his shoulder. The strain pink in his face signaling the struggle of his ascension.

"Are you okay father?"

"Yes. Just make sure you take care of the doors for me."

Without another word, she follows her father's orders and leads the way of their escape through the corridors of Seikyou Academy. The mixture of footsteps, pants, and hearts racing echo along the barren halls before they soon reach the school's entrance. She and her mother burst through the door, catching a sight of the late afternoon colors in the sky. After her father finally makes it through the door, they cross the lifeless courtyard and make their way to the car waiting just by the gate. While her parents carry her down the stairs, Yukariko blows past them and makes her way across the courtyard. After reaching the car, she grabs hold of the door handle and flings the door open. As her guardians catch up, their bodies drag their way to the goal. Moments later they finally reach the car. Her father's clothing dripping with perspiration and his mouth hanging open.

"Get in Yukariko."

"Okay," she says getting into the vehicle from the other side. Her father repositions Yuuko and loads her into the vehicle.

A soft 'no' slips out of her mouth as Yuuko's head is placed on her lap and her eyes sit barely open enough to see the white of her eyes. Unable to help it she averts her attention to the windows and holds her breath. The adjacent door shuts and her parents take their places in their respective seats.

"Father...It really-"

"Just endure it Yukariko."

"Y-yes sir," she says holding her nose.

The engine soon revs and the car rockets off. The clouds soar by as they speed through the streets of their community. The houses whiz by her vision until they exit the boundary of the village and head towards the mountain pass exiting the area.

'We've finally made it out of the town. I wonder what's going to happen now.'

"How did you let this happen," Rin's voice thunders to the backseat.

"You need to calm down."

"I thought you said you looked everywhere!?"

"I made a mistake, and I'm sorry."

"'I'm sorry' isn't enough Jin. Our daughter is dying because of you!"

"She's going to be okay."

"Don't give me that!" Rin almost screams with more emotion in her voice. "Does she look like she's alright?!"

As the vehicle ascends the incline their voices continue to barrage her, so much that she puts her fighter over her ears in an attempt to block them out, but she finds herself unable to the peace she seeks.

"Can we please continue this later Rin? Please."

"You're a bastard," she heaves a sigh at him. "You better have good answers for me."

"How is Yuuko doing, Yukariko," Jin asks.

Yukariko peeks at the pale face to notice her eyes still in the same position with her chest rising and falling steadily.

"She's still the same way father."

'What are you really expecting at this point?'

The car falls silent once more before a series of acceleration and decelerations until road mountain road straights out and begins to fade into background.

"It won't be long now, Yuuko. The hospital should be coming up soon."

'Why do they keep talking to her like she's a child? She doesn't need them to keep talking like that to her.'

"There's the hospital!"

Yukariko peers out of the window to see the multi-story building quickly approaching. As the car comes to a halt, she releases a triumphant sigh that her job is finally over. Her parents quickly leave the car and bolt inside of the building. Soon this nightmare would be over, and someone would need to be there to pick up the pieces of her family's failures. For Yuuko's sake, at least.

The voices intermingle in her mind as her pillar of achievement suddenly crashes down upon her. Placing her hands upon her head, the next thing she knew is her sister's body is being whisked away by her father.


End file.
